Every therapist is unique, and finding one that will fit you best is not easy. So here are some questions that can help you see whether I may be a good therapist for you:

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• Do you believe (or hear people say) that you are "too sensitive"?

• Are you often hard on yourself?

• Are you introverted (and judge yourself for it?)

• Do you like to think deeply about things, process various interactions and arguments repeatedly, and try to read all kinds of books and articles on how to understand things?

• Do you find yourself feeling uneasy in various social situations?

• Do you try to take care of everyone before yourself?

• Is anger a challenge for you to feel and express?

• Do you struggle with many physical symptoms in addition to emotional ones?

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If the answer is "yes" to many of these, then you are the kind of person that I likely can help. All of these link up and can be worked through using psychoanalytic psychotherapy.

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I work with individual adults (ages 18+). My specialties and interests include:

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• Anxiety & Depression (often go hand-in-hand, though one or the other may be more pronounced or challenging)

• Relationship issues

• Self-esteem issues

• Body & Psychosomatic issues

• Grief/Bereavement

• Childhood trauma, big or small

• The creative process and creative blocks (writing, art, singing, acting, etc.)

• Issues around caretaking and self-care

• Therapy for other therapists (in training or otherwise) and any other practitioners who work with people (acupuncturists, massage therapists, and so on).

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My other, personal interests include:

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• Work with dreams

• Writing

• Spirituality

• Buddhist teachings & meditation

• Holistic healing

• Singing

• Art (particularly painting)

• Existential issues

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Psychoanalysis has come quite far since the days of Freud and the whole silent analyst sitting behind the couch. Now, psychoanalytic psychotherapy involves two people talking -- whether you want to stay seated or lie down is up to you in any particular session. You will begin to tell me your story, probably beginning with things you are currently struggling with. And as you do, I will be listening to it in a particular way and begin to pull out some patterns in your relationships, as well as emotional ways you live in the world. Then we will work together to see if there may be other ways of relating, getting your needs met, setting boundaries, and so on. My personal style is one I would call Relational, but I pull threads from many other psychoanalytic schools of thought. What I am most concerned with is connecting with who you are as a human being than applying some theory.

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​This is the work of learning where you are inhibited, how you hold yourself back from expressing the fullness of who you are -- both the wonderful parts of you and the more challenging places. This is why therapy can be more effective than self-help -- because in therapy you are in an actual relationship that can be explored and worked on, and one in which your efforts and your feelings are validated and supported. It is your laboratory for trying out feelings you've closed yourself off to, for making mistakes, and for seeing how you might have twisted yourself into a pretzel trying to fit the world.

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Psychotherapy works best when it is done at least once a week. Some people choose twice-weekly, or even thrice-weekly sessions. This will depend on your needs, and after I get to know you to some degree, we will discuss it together and I will make a recommendation as to the frequency of sessions that I think would be most useful for you.

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